Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies
Deadline
open

AIAS-AUFF Fellowships

Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) is pleased to announce up to 10 AIAS-AUFF Fellowships open for application by curiosity-driven, talented researchers from all over the world and within all research disciplines. Fellowships start on 1 September 2026, and last for 23 months for researchers with 2 to10 years of experience after completion of their PhD.

Why apply for an AIAS-AUFF Fellowship

The Institute is a haven for intellectual exploration, hosting excellent researchers who are eager to develop their work in an interdisciplinary, international and collaborative environment. Built on principles of interdisci-plinary research and global collaboration, AIAS nurtures an innovative atmosphere where breakthroughs emerge through transparent, inclusive and reflective discussions by offering a space for engagement and cre-ativity. Fellows benefit from a stimulating, career-empowering atmosphere at AIAS with tailored activities that focus on cultivating essential competencies for a successful academic development.

AIAS fosters connections, sparks ideas and dissolves boundaries as fellows engage with researchers from dif-ferent disciplines within the Institute and across departments and research hubs at Aarhus University. Therefore, the call welcomes applications from all research areas and themes.

With a location within the unique campus of Aarhus University, AIAS functions as an interdisciplinary platform that connects researchers across Aarhus University and international scholars. AIAS has fellows who work in theme groups or in individual fellowship and hosts events and activities, which fellows are welcome to join and contribute to.

Who can apply for an AIAS-AUFF Fellowship

The call is open to curiosity-driven researchers and welcomes applications from researchers:

  • who have a career experience of 2-10 years after completion of their PhD by the deadline of the call
  • from all research disciplines of any nationality
  • who comply with a mobility demand as applicants must not have resided or carried out their main work activity in Denmark for more than 12 months in the two years immediately prior to the deadline of the call.
  • who have an interdisciplinary research project and/or interest
  • who have/see relevant collaboration possibilities at Aarhus University

AIAS and Aarhus University strive to create a multidisciplinary, inclusive academic environment and to be an inspiring workplace for all by fostering a culture in which the individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

The fellowship includes

The fellowships include a full salary based on seniority, with employment conditions and wages regulated through the Danish Collective Union agreements. The fellowship covers travel costs to Aarhus and offers relo-cation assistance. Fellows will have office space at AIAS and can participate in academic training activities, conferences and workshops at AIAS. Fellows will also be affiliated with the relevant research environments at Aarhus University.

Timeline of the application process
  • Opening of call: 26 August 2025.
  • Deadline for applications: 28 October 2025 at 12.00 (noon) CET.
  • Evaluation and selection period: November 2025 - February 2026.
  • Applicants will receive answers: March 2026.
  • Fellowships begin: 1 September 2026.
Detailed call for applications
For more information, click here
Constructive Advanced Thinking (CAT) Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Centre for Advanced Study Sofia Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Collegium de Lyon Collegium Helveticum Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies IMéRA - Institute for Advanced Studies of Aix-Marseille University Institut d'études avancées de Nantes Institut d'études avancées de Paris Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University Instituto di Studi Avanzati di Bologna Israel Institute for Advanced Studies Madrid Institute for Advanced Study Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences New Europe College Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Zukunftskolleg
Deadline
open

Constructive Advanced Thinking (CAT) Programme 2026 - 2028

Goals

The aim of the CAT initiative is to foster networks of excellent early-career researchers dedicated to devising new ideas to understand and to tackle current or emerging societal challenges. Although the programme has a strong focus on the societal relevance of the projects, it is entirely blue sky, bottom-up and non-thematic. CAT encourages a collaboration with stakeholders outside academia (industry, policymakers, NGOs…) who are willing to support or engage in innovative research initiatives.

In order to engage in fruitful discussions and mature their ideas, the groups will be given the opportunity to meet for short stays in different participating institutes, and to be put in contact with the institutes’ fellows and local research communities.

With few guidelines and a very light application process, CAT is designed to maximize the creativity of research groups. This call has been incubated in the Network of European Institutes for Advanced Study (NETIAS) and also involves institutes beyond the network. The collaboration between several institutes in different countries aims at giving these groups access to a great variety of high-level thinkers and researchers in order to go beyond the current frontiers of knowledge and to develop highly innovative ideas on how to address very complex societal issues.

Support

CAT will provide teams of early-career researchers (three to five persons) time and space for thought and discussion in the best research environments Europe has to offer. The groups may include one representative of a stakeholder organization related to the theme of the project. During a period of up to three years, teams will benefit from a series of short stays (i.e. between one and two weeks, two to three times a year, for a maximum of six stays) in institutes participating in the program (see list below). Online meetings and digital research stays at the institutes are possible alternatives to onsite stays and can complete the work and time plan of CAT groups.

CAT will cover travel and accommodation expenses for the team meetings/short work stays in the participating institutes. CAT will not fund salaries or research-related expenses.

The participating institutes will support the teams by connecting them with the most knowledgeable and experienced researchers onsite as well as digitally, and by helping them valorise the obtained results through their legitimating channels. During their stay, CAT teams will benefit from the institutes’ amenities and conviviality for work and exchanges. Discussions at the institutes will provide a unique sounding board for innovative ideas and will give valuable feedback.

Obligations

At mid-term, the continuation of the institute’s support to the team’s work will be subject to approval after evaluation of a short progress report.

At the end of their project, in addition to the organization of (a) final meeting(s) presenting the results, the CAT teams will be expected to produce a final report in the form of a text, video, website or other media, that will be made public.

In keeping with the policies of the participating institutes, the researchers keep the intellectual property rights to their work.

Eligiblity

The project must address emergent societal issues.

  • The Principal Investigator (team leader) must have a stable research position in a European (EU as well as UK and associated countries) higher education and/or research institution for the entire duration of the project.
  • S/he must have obtained a PhD between January 2016 and September 2025.         
  • No team member should have obtained his/her PhD before January 2016. Doctoral researchers may also participate.
  • The eligibility can be extended beyond 10 years after the PhD for any member of the group for certain properly documented circumstances such as maternity and paternity leaves, clinical training, long-term illness, national service, natural disaster or seeking asylum.
  • There is no specific diploma or age requirement for representatives of stakeholder organizations.
  • Each team should include participants from at least two different countries (current workplace, including non-European countries; any nationality).
  • The team of 3 to 5 persons (stakeholders included) must be fully constituted, with CVs of all members named in the proposal.
Schedule

Deadline for applications: 14 October 2025, 15:00 CET

Successful applications will be notified by the end of January, 2026

Stays in participating institutes will take place between January 2026 and December 2028.

More information on the call